Process system engineering aspect of bio-alcohol fuel production from biomass via pyrolysis: An overview

Due to depleting petroleum reserves and the environmental impact of fossil fuels, it is important to find alternative sources for transport fuels. An alternative solution is bio-alcohol fuel, which has potential in the transport sector and in electricity generation. Biomass-based sources offer the best solution for transitioning to liquid fuel because of its global availability and energetic gain. Current fuel research and development addresses process engineering trends for improving bio-alcohol production in pyrolysis. This paper addresses developments in modeling simulation, optimization and control systems related to bio-alcohol production. The most promising solutions to bio-alcohol fuel production costs by the generation of valuable co-products are analyzed. These findings are supported by heat and mass transfer in the production of bio-alcohol fuel as well as by economic analysis. Finally, some concluding considerations on current and future research trends in the study of bio-alcohol are presented.